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Introduction

PROJECT

From 2021-2024, Campaign 2000, Citizens for Public Justice and Canada Without Poverty co-led a national community-based research project that engaged communities experiencing poverty to recommend indicators measuring progress towards eradicating poverty and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This project, Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals,builds on Campaign 2000’s ongoing monitoring of government progress towards ending child and family poverty, aiming to address the limitations of the Canadian Indicator Framework for tracking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 1: No Poverty.

Through the project, the research team held 17 community conversations with 227 people affected by poverty and intersecting forms of marginalization in every province and territory. The project website hosts summaries of each community conversation.

This local framework is based on the knowledge and experiences shared by participants in the Whitehorse community conversation, co-hosted by the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition on June 27, 2023.

FINDINGS

Measurement of progress towards poverty eradication in Canada should reflect the lived realities of people experiencing poverty. The indicators used in the Canadian Indicator Framework for measuring progress towards SDG 1: No Poverty are the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the prevalence of asset resilience.[i] Campaign 2000 report cards and early research from this project highlighted the limitations of these two indicators to track progress towards SDG 1.[ii] [iii]

The project set out to address these gaps with an emphasis on localizing measures of poverty reduction and centring the knowledge and experience of lived experts. Local visions of communities free from poverty emerged. The frameworks drawn from this research reflect participants’ subjective, multidimensional experience of poverty, which is wide-ranging, affects every aspect of life, and differs place to place and community to community. The frameworks also reflect poverty as a violation of human rights resulting in short- and long- term physical, mental, spiritual, and social harm.

These findings highlight the importance of community-based, culturally relevant, localized measures and indicators for ending poverty and the need to urgently recognize and address the systemic intersecting power structures that create and deepen inequities and experiences of poverty.

In addition to the 17 local frameworks, the findings are illustrated in a National Community-Based Indicator Framework, intended to supplement the Canadian Indicator Framework. It outlines dimensions, measures, indicators, and data sources for poverty eradication (including recommendations and gaps, where no indicators exist) that reflect the knowledge and experiences of lived experts and community organizations across the country.

While the findings depict a broad range of expertise from across the country, they remain a snapshot of 227 people, in 17 places, at one moment in time, and further engagement and community-based research is required to continue to centre lived experts in the work of poverty eradication and achieving the 2030 Agenda.

UNDERSTANDING THE FRAMEWORK

The entire framework falls under Sustainable Development Goal 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere.

The framework is organized by 12 interdependent dimensions of communities with no poverty. These dimensions are interconnected and non-hierarchical – all connect and contribute to the multifaceted way that people experience poverty in Canada. Many of the indicators could fall under multiple dimensions, but for the sake of length, they are each only shown under one.

Dimensions:

In each dimension, measures refer to qualities of communities with no poverty.

Indicators are statistical definitions of the measures.

As living documents, the local frameworks offer Example Indicators and Data Sources. The local frameworks are intended to complement the National Framework, highlight local priorities, and demonstrate opportunities for continued work in localizing measurement towards ending poverty in Canada. They are accompanied by living action recommendation documents.

fst campaign icons harmony and connection

fst campaign icons harmony and connectionSocial inclusion and community connection

Community members feel valued and connected, have opportunities to participate in society and culture, care for and support each other, and live in harmony.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone is connected  
Having a sense of togethernessExample: Percentage of people who report a strong or very strong sense of belonging to their communityGovernment of Yukon and Canadian Index of Well-being
Being able to help others  
People share what they have  
People care for each other  
People feel safe and comfortable with each other  
People understand each other  
People listen to each other’s stories  
People have gatherings and share meals  
Communities have social gatherings for elders  
Being able to live according to cultural values  
Communities have ceremonies together  
Being able to speak your own language  
Feeling proud of your history  
Having a connection to the land  
People share food with everyone in the community, especially country food  
Children and youth have access to cultural activities, like First Nations artwork and sewing  
First Nations people practice traditional skills  
Having access to opportunities  
Being able to accept opportunities  
People have the freedom to pursue their dreams and purpose  
Children and youth have access to sports and recreation opportunities  
Children have opportunities to meet others from across the country  
People have opportunities to connect with people from other communities facing similar challenges  
fst campaign icons social justice

Equality, justice, and freedom

Everyone’s human rights are upheld. Communities are free from systemic inequality and injustice, discrimination, oppression, violence, and trauma, and the harms of colonization.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone is equal  
Freedom from violence and abuse  
Everyone is safe  
Everyone is respected  
Freedom from wealth inequality  
Freedom from racism  
Healing from intergenerational trauma  
Harm of colonial policies is meaningfully addressed and repaired  
Treaties and agreements are upheld  
Freedom from the harms of residential schools  
First Nations people are paid fairly for the resources stolen from their lands  
First Nations people do not need to pay for their traditional rights, like hunting and fishing licences and land  
Being able to learn or relearn your own language for free  
Freedom from racism and stigma in service  and care provision  
First Nations people are free from stigma and stereotypes  
Freedom from discrimination against immigrants  
Freedom from stigma and judgment  
Freedom from stigma or judgment based on appearance or clothing  
Police believe and protect survivors of abuse  
Freedom from drug trafficking  
Climate change is equitably addressed  
fst campaign icons hope for the future

Joy, happiness and hope for the future

Everyone is able to be happy, feel ease, and have the time and freedom to enjoy life. People have hope, can imagine the future, and don’t feel trapped in cycles of poverty and isolation.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Living in happiness  
Living with ease  
Living with comfort  
People are kind to each other  
Freedom from worry  
Feeling like you have a way forward  
Everybody has hope  
Feeling hopeful and confident in the future  
Communities have singing and dancing  
People laugh  
People have a sense of humour  
Being able to play with pets  
fst campaign icons economic stability

Income and material security

Incomes reflect the cost of living. People have the ability to pay all their bills, meet all their basic needs, have some flexibility to not live paycheque to paycheque, and are able to thrive.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everybody’s basic needs are met  
Freedom from being in survival mode  
Having access to running water, electricity, sanitation, and laundry  
Having clothes for different occasions  
Basic needs are affordable  
Being able to afford supplies for hunting, fishing, and harvesting  
The cost of hunting, fishing, and harvesting supplies is equitable compared to other regions in the country  
Access to phone and computer  
Everybody has enough money  
Being able to save money  
Freedom from living paycheque to paycheque  
Feeling confident you have enough money to support yourself, even if you lose your job or an emergency occurs  
Freedom from borrowing money  
Incomes reflect the cost of living  
Minimum wage is a living wageExample: Living wage compared to minimum wageYAPC living wage calculation
Incomes increase with inflation  
Social assistance reflects the cost of living  
Disability assistance reflects the cost of living  
Equitable access to benefits for new immigrants  
fst campaign icons work fulfillment

Decent work

People can work in jobs with a living wage, safe work conditions, opportunities for growth, and job training. Work is fulfilling and allows people to use their skills.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Access to job opportunities for everyone who wants to work  
Equitable access to job opportunities  
Ability to work in a field you’re passionate about, regardless of pay  
Access to training and supports to find jobs  
Employers hire people from all communities  
Freedom from discrimination and stereotyping at work  
fst campaign icons equal education

Education for all

Everyone has equitable access to affordable, quality education, training, and learning supports.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone has equitable access to education  
Medical and nursing school is accessible to all, in terms of finances and qualifications  
Education is offered in various formats for accessibility, including in-person for those who don’t have internet or computers  
Equitable access to affordable education for international students  
fst campaign icons community housing

Right to housing is realized

Everyone has a home. There is adequate, affordable secure housing for all, free from discrimination, and reflecting the needs of communities and neighbourhoods.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone has safe, secure housingExample: Percentage of Yukoners in core housing needStatistics Canada Census Data
Knowing you have somewhere to sleep  
All children have homes  
Housing is affordable  
Freedom from housing discrimination for people receiving social assistance  
New housing being built is affordable and reflects needs of community  
Rent subsidies increase with the market  
First Nations people have homes on their own land  
First Nations people living off reserve have housing  
First Nations and off-reserve housing supports are well-coordinated with no gaps  
Youth have access to an emergency shelter  
Men have access to an emergency shelter  
Couples and families have access to emergency shelters without separation  
People who use drugs have access to supportive housing with no waitlist  
Youth have access to supportive housing  
fst campaign icons secure nutrition

Food sovereignty and security

Everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate food; the ability to hunt, harvest, grow, and share food according to cultural values; and the freedom to choose what they want to eat.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone has enough to eat  
Everyone can eat nutritious food  
Everyone has access to cooking supplies and refrigeration  
Being able to eat the food that you were raised on  
Freedom from worrying about having enough to eat  
Everyone can afford food  
Having the freedom to hunt  
Being able to afford supplies for hunting, fishing, and harvesting  
The cost of hunting, fishing, and harvesting supplies is equitable compared to other regions in the country  
People share food with everyone in the community, especially country food  
People cook for elders  
Elders receive country food  
First Nations people do not need hunting or fishing licences  
Being able to choose what you want from the food bank  
Food banks offer fresh, varied, culturally appropriate items  
fst campaign icons healthcare access

Health and mental health

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone has good mental and physical health  
Freedom from the mental, physical, and spiritual harms of poverty  
Feeling like you have the health to live your life how you want to  
Everyone has access to good quality, timely healthcare  
Everyone has a doctor  
Everyone has access to healing  
Everybody has access to mental health care  
Having access to running water and sanitation  
The air is clean  
Everyone is equitably and fairly treated when accessing health care  
Freedom from racism and stigma in the health care system  
Freedom from suicide  
Freedom from overdose deaths  
Freedom from addiction  
Access to support and treatment for addiction  
Youth, couples, and families have access to treatment for addiction  
Everyone has access to harm reduction training and supplies  
fst campaign icons service accessibility

Equitable access to services, programs, and supports

Services and supports are accessible and coordinated, with no arbitrary bureaucratic barriers or discrimination. Community organizations are resourced and are by communities, for communities.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Everyone has access to transportation  
Everyone has access to public transit  
Services and programs are well-coordinated and prioritized  
Community organizations are led by the communities they support  
Service provision is informed by the people accessing the services  
Services have low-barrier mobile outreach options  
Everyone has access to a support worker or group  
Funding for projects and organizations is accessible and easy to apply for  
First Nations living off reserve have equitable access to services and supports  
Friendship centres are supported and resourced  
Friendship centres have regular programs  
Men have access to friendship centre programs  
Women experiencing gender-based violence or abuse have access to safe services and supports  
fst campaign icons family time

Connected and supported families and children

Families are supported to stay together and spend time together. The child welfare system is equitable, trauma-informed, and reflects needs of children and families. Everyone has access to affordable childcare. 

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Families are supported  
Everyone has access to affordable childcare  
Children are free from abuse  
Children and youth have opportunities for recreation and activities  
Couples and families can stay together when accessing shelters or treatment  
fst campaign icons government accountability

Accountable and engaged governments and institutions

Governments are accountable to communities. Policy-making is community-engaged, trauma-informed, responsive, and based on local needs and values.

MeasureIndicatorData Source
Treaties and agreements are upheld  
Policies are based on good relationships  
Harm of colonial policies is meaningfully addressed and repaired  
Governments engage people with lived expertise of poverty  
Lived expertise is valued in government roles  
Government officials and First Nations leaders are involved in conversations with communities about what needs to change  
Government officials are accountable to the community  
Government promises are backed up by action and investment  
Community members, organizations, governments, and First Nations meet together for discussions  
First Nations governments uphold First Nations values  
Salary and wage transparency for people in government, including First Nations government  
Feeling understood by government officials  
Feeling confident that the government will make positive changes  

[i] Statistics Canada. (2021). The Canadian Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-26-0004/112600042021001-eng.htm

[ii] Campaign 2000. Pandemic Lessons: Ending Child and Family Poverty is Possible. February 14, 2023. https://campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/English-Pandemic-Lessons_Ending-Child-and-Family-Poverty-is-Possible_2022-National-Report-Card-on-Child-and-Family-Poverty.pdf

[iii] Barrie, H., & Sarangi, L. (2022). Literature Review: Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty. https://sdg.campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/Campaign-2000-Localizing-SDGs-Project-Literature-Review-May-2022.pdf